Ezekiel 40

A Vision of the New Temple

1 In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth [day] of the month, in the fourteenth year after the city was destroyed, in this day exactly, the hand of Yahweh was on me, and he brought me there
2 in visions from God. He brought me to the land of Israel and put me on a very high mountain, and on it [was] [something] like a structure of a city to the south.
3 And he brought me there, and look, there was a man whose appearance [was] like [the] appearance of bronze, and a cord of linen [was] in his hand and a reed for measurement; [he] was standing in the gate.
4 And the man spoke to me, "Son of man, look with your eyes and listen with your ears and apply your heart to all that I [am] showing you, for you were brought here in order to show you [this]; tell all that you [are] seeing to the house of Israel."

The Eastern Gate

5 And there was a wall on [the] outside of the temple {all the way around it}, and in the hand of the man the reed for measurement [was] six [long] cubits, {according to} the cubit and a handbreadth, and he measured the width of the outer wall [as] one reed, and [the] height [as] one reed.
6 And [then] he went toward [the] gate whose face [was] {to the east}. And he went up by its steps, and he measured the threshold of the gate, one reed wide.
7 And the alcove [was] one reed long and one reed wide, and between the alcoves [was] five cubits, and the threshold of the gate along the side of the portico of the gate {on the inside} [was] one reed.
8 And [then] he measured the portico of the gate {on the inside} [as] one reed.
9 And he measured the portico of the gate [as] eight cubits, and its pilaster [was] two cubits [thick], and [he measured] the portico of the gate {on the inside}.
10 And the alcoves of the gate [toward] the way {eastward} [were] {three on each side}; {the same measurements applied to all three of them}; and {the same measurement applied to the pilaster} {on each side}.
11 And he measured the width of the doorway of the gate [as] ten cubits and the length of the gateway [was] thirteen cubits.
12 And a wall {was before} the alcoves; {one cubit on either side} [was the] wall from here. And the alcove {was six cubits on each side}.
13 And he measured the gate from the top slab of the alcove to its [opposite] top slab [as] twenty-five cubits [in] width, {from one entrance to the other one opposite it}.
14 And he made [the] pilasters sixty cubits, and to the pilaster of the courtyard {all the way around the gate}.
15 {And from the front of} the gate [at] the entrance to {the front of} the portico of the inner gate [was] fifty cubits.
16 And [there were] narrow windows for the alcoves and for their pilasters to [the] inside of the gate {all the way around} [it]. And likewise [with respect] to the porticos and windows [were] {all the way around} to the inside, and on a pilaster [there were] images [of] palm trees.

The Outer Courtyard

17 And he brought me to the outer courtyard, and there were chambers and a pavement made for the courtyard all around [it], [and] thirty chambers [were facing] to the pavement.
18 And the pavement {flanked} the side of the gates {and all along the gates}; this [describes] the lower pavement.
19 And he measured [the width] from {the front of} the lower gate to {the front of} the outside of [the] inner courtyard [as] a hundred cubits to the east and to the north.

Measurement of the North Gate

20 And [as for] the gate that [had] its face {toward the north} of the outer courtyard, he measured its length and its width.
21 And its alcoves [were] {three on each side}, and its pilasters and its porticos {had the same measurement} [as] the first gate: its length [was] fifty cubits, and [its] width [was] twenty-five {cubits}.
22 And its windows and its porticos and its palm tree images [were] like the measurement of the gate that [was] {facing toward the east}; and {it had} seven steps that go up it, and [there were] porticos {before them}.
23 And a gate [led] to the inner courtyard, opposite the gate to the north and to the east, and he measured from gate to gate [as] a hundred cubits.

The Gate to the South

24 And [then] he took me {toward the south}, and look, a gate {toward the south}, and he measured its pilasters and its porticos; [they had] measurements [just] {like the others}.
25 And [there were] for it windows and for its porticos {all the way around it} like these windows; fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide.
26 And seven steps [were] going up [to] it and its porticos {before them}. And {it had palm tree images} {all along} its pilasters.
27 And [there was] [to] the way of the south a gate for the inner courtyard, and he measured from gate to the gate [on] the way of the south, [a] hundred cubits.

Gates to the Inner Courtyard

28 And he brought me to [the] inner courtyard through the gate of the south, and he measured the south gate, [and it had] measurements like {the others}.
29 And its alcoves and its pilasters and its porticos [were] [just] like these measurements. And [it had] windows for it and for its porticos {all the way around}, fifty cubits along [its length], and twenty-five cubits [wide].
30 And [there were] porticos {all the way around} [its] length, twenty-five cubits; and [its] width [was] five cubits.
31 And its porticos [were] to the outer courtyard, and palm tree images [were] on its pilasters, and eight steps [were for] its stairs.
32 And he brought me to the inner courtyard [by way of] the east [gate], and he measured the gate [as] [just] like {the other measurements}.
33 And its alcoves and its pilasters and its porticos [were also] like these measurements, and windows [were] for it and for its porticos all around; [its] length [was] fifty cubits, [and] [it was] twenty-five cubits wide.
34 And its porticos [were] toward the outer courtyard, and palm tree images [were] on its pilasters {one each side}, and {eight steps served as it stairs}.
35 And he brought me to the gate of the north, and he measured [it]; and he measured {the same measurements as these others},
36 its alcoves, its pilasters and porticos, {and its windows} {all the way around}, and [a] length of fifty cubits and twenty-five cubits wide.
37 And its pilasters {faced the outer courtyard}, and {it had palm tree images on its pilasters} {on each side}; and eight steps [served as] its stairs.

Rooms for Sacrificial Preparations

38 And a chamber with its doorway [was] in the pilasters at the gates, and there they rinsed off the burnt offering.
39 And in the portico of the gate {were two tables on each side} to slaughter the burnt offering on them and the sin offering and the guilt offering.
40 And on the outer side as [one] goes up to the doorway of the gate [to] the north [were] two tables, and on the other side, which [is] toward the portico of the gate, [were] two tables.
41 {On each side of the gate were four tables}, eight tables [in all], [and] on them they slaughtered [sacrifices].
42 And four tables [were] for the burnt offering, [and made of] dressed stones, one cubit and a half long and one cubit and a half wide and one cubit high {was their measurements}, and they placed the objects [with] which they slaughtered the burnt offering on them and the sacrifice.
43 And [there were] double-pronged hooks, one handbreadth [in width], put in place in the house all around, and on the tables [was] the flesh of the offering.

Rooms for Priests and Other Worship Leaders

44 And on the outside of the inner gate, [there were] chambers for singers in the inner courtyard, which [was] to the side of the north gate, and their faces {were to the south} [with respect to one], [and] on the side of the east gate [one] facing to the north.
45 And he said to me, "This chamber {with its face toward the south} [is] for the priests [who are] taking care of the responsibility of the temple.
46 And the chamber {with its face to the north} [is] for the priests [who are] taking care of the responsibility of the altar. They [are] the descendants of Zadok, the [ones who] approach [from among] the descendants of Levi to Yahweh to serve him."

Inner Courtyard and Temple Measurements

47 And he measured the courtyard [as to its] length, a hundred cubits, and a hundred cubits wide, squared, and the altar {is in front of} the temple.
48 And he brought me to the portico of the temple, and he measured [the] pilaster of [the] portico, {five cubits on each side}, and the width of the gate {was three cubits on each side}.
49 The length of the portico [was] twenty cubits and its width eleven cubits, and with ten steps they went up to it, and the {pilasters had pillars}, {one on each side}.

Footnotes 127

  • [a]. Hebrew "his"
  • [b]. Or "mortal," or "son of humankind"
  • [c]. Or "set/put"
  • [d]. Literally "all around, all around"
  • [e]. Or "rod"
  • [f]. Literally "with/in"
  • [g]. That is, about 18 inches
  • [h]. A handbreadth wasabout 3 inches; the reed/rod was 10.5 feet long
  • [i]. That is, 10.5 feet
  • [j]. That is, about 10.5 feet
  • [k]. Or "to"
  • [l]. Literally "to the way toward the east"
  • [m]. Or "with"
  • [n]. That is, about 10.5 feet
  • [o]. Or "niches" in the temple tower
  • [p]. That is, about 10.5 feet
  • [q]. That is, about 10.5 feet
  • [r]. That is, 10.5 x 10.5 feet
  • [s]. That is, about 8.75 feet
  • [t]. Literally "from the house"
  • [u]. That is, about 10.5 feet
  • [v]. Literally "from the house"
  • [w]. That is, about 10.5 feet.
  • [x]. That is, about 14 feet
  • [y]. That is, 3.5 feet
  • [z]. Literally "from the house"
  • [aa]. Hebrew "alcove"
  • [ab]. Or "direction"
  • [ac]. Literally "of the east"
  • [ad]. Literally "[was] three from here and three from here"
  • [ae]. Literally "measurement one [was] to the three of them"
  • [af]. Literally "measurement one [was] to the pilaster"
  • [ag]. Literally "from here and from there"
  • [ah]. That is, 17.5 feet
  • [ai]. Hebrew "gate"
  • [aj]. That is, 22.75 feet; or the inside width of the gateway was 22.75 feet
  • [ak]. Or "guard wall"; others prefer "curb" (NLT)
  • [al]. Literally "[was] to the face of"
  • [am]. That is, about 18 inches
  • [an]. Literally "cubit one and cubit one"; or 21 inches
  • [ao]. Or "from the front"
  • [ap]. That is, 10.5 feet
  • [aq]. Literally "[was] six cubits from here and six cubits from here"
  • [ar]. Literally "doorway opposite doorway"
  • [as]. That is, 105 feet (problematic in this context)
  • [at]. Literally "the gate all around, all around"
  • [au]. Literally "and at the face of"
  • [av]. Literally "the face of"
  • [aw]. That is, 87.5 feet
  • [ax]. Literally "all around, all around"
  • [ay]. Literally "all around, all around"
  • [az]. Hebrew "tree"
  • [ba]. Literally "[was] to the side of"
  • [bb]. Literally "to along side the length of the gates"
  • [bc]. Literally "to the face of"
  • [bd]. Literally "to the face of"
  • [be]. That is, 175 feet
  • [bf]. Literally "to the way of the north"
  • [bg]. Literally "three from here and three from here"
  • [bh]. Literally "it was like the measurement of"
  • [bi]. That is, 87.5 feet
  • [bj]. Literally "in/by the cubit"; 43.5 feet
  • [bk]. Literally "its face [to] the way of the east"
  • [bl]. Literally "and with steps"
  • [bm]. Literally "to the face of them"
  • [bn]. That is, 175 feet
  • [bo]. Literally "to the way of the south"
  • [bp]. Literally "to the way of the south"
  • [bq]. Literally "like the measurements the these"
  • [br]. Literally "all around, all around"
  • [bs]. That is, 87.5 feet
  • [bt]. That is, 43.75 feet
  • [bu]. Literally "to the face of them"
  • [bv]. Literally "and palm tree images [were] for it"
  • [bw]. Literally "from here and one from here to"
  • [bx]. That is, "to the south"
  • [by]. That is, 175 feet
  • [bz]. Or "at"
  • [ca]. Literally "the measurements the these"
  • [cb]. Hebrew "portico"
  • [cc]. Literally "all around, all around"
  • [cd]. Hebrew "cubit"
  • [ce]. Literally "long"
  • [cf]. That is, 43.75 feet
  • [cg]. Literally "all around, all around"
  • [ch]. That is, 43.75 feet
  • [ci]. That is, 8.75 feet, which differs from 40:9; the LXX and some Greek versions lack this verse altogether
  • [cj]. Literally "the measurements the these"
  • [ck]. Literally "all around, all around"
  • [cl]. That is, 87.5 feet
  • [cm]. That is, 43.75 feet
  • [cn]. Literally "from here and from here"
  • [co]. Literally "and eight steps its stairs"
  • [cp]. Literally "like the measurements the these"
  • [cq]. Literally "its windows [were] for it"
  • [cr]. Literally "all around, all around"
  • [cs]. That is, 87.5 feet
  • [ct]. That is, 43.75 feet
  • [cu]. Literally "[were] to the courtyard the outer"
  • [cv]. Literally "and palm tree images [were] for its pilaster"
  • [cw]. Literally "from here and from here"
  • [cx]. Or "[set] among"
  • [cy]. Or "gate"
  • [cz]. Or "washed"
  • [da]. Literally "[were] two tables from here and two tables from here"
  • [db]. Literally "four tables from here and four tables from here"
  • [dc]. That is, 31.5 inches
  • [dd]. That is, 21 inches
  • [de]. Literally "[was]to them
  • [df]. Or "instruments/utensils"
  • [dg]. Or "inside"
  • [dh]. Hebrew "of"
  • [di]. That is, of the chambers
  • [dj]. Literally "[were to] the way of the south"
  • [dk]. Literally "which its face [is to] the way of the south"
  • [dl]. Literally "with its face [is to] the way of the north"
  • [dm]. Or "sons"
  • [dn]. Or "sons"
  • [do]. That is, 175 feet
  • [dp]. That is, 175 feet
  • [dq]. Literally "before face of"
  • [dr]. That is, 8.75 feet; literally "five cubits from here and five cubits from here"
  • [ds]. Literally "[was] three cubit[s] from here and three cubits from here"
  • [dt]. That is, 35 feet
  • [du]. That is, 19.25 feet; LXX reads 12 cubits or 21 feet
  • [dv]. Literally "and pillars [were] to the pilasters"
  • [dw]. Literally "one from here and one from here"

Ezekiel 40 Commentaries

Scripture quotations marked (LEB) are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.